Ditch red and green, Emilia Fox’s yellow Fair Isle jumper is so fun for the festive season and beyond

Emilia Fox has convinced us to ditch festive red and green and her yellow Fair Isle jumper is so fun for the festive season and beyond.

At Christmas it can often feel like festive red and green - as well as metallics and jewel tones - are the only shades to be wearing, but there’s definitely still a place for brighter hues this time of year. Knitwear is such an easy way to add some colour to an outfit and some of our favourite jumpers in our winter capsule wardrobe bring a fun feel to a look. One tone we hadn’t perhaps considered before was yellow but there’s nothing quite a pop of yellow to brighten up a cold day - as Emilia Fox proved in 2022.

The actor shared a special post on Instagram that October encouraging people to pick up a copy of Remembering Bears, part of the Remembering Wildlife fundraising book series. All of the profits went directly to vetted programs dedicated to protecting bears and for this important post, Emilia wore a cosy Fair Isle jumper.

Shop Fun Fair Isle Jumpers

It had all the details we look for in the best cashmere jumpers and wool pieces that we’re investing in - a crew neckline, long sleeves and relaxed shape. What made Emilia Fox’s Fair Isle jumper really stand out was the mix of vivid colours and the lemon yellow base tone was what anchored them all.

Although she wore this particular jumper in autumn - and we think it would be just as sensational for winter - the sunshine hue was perfect for lifting the colour palette of her knitwear.

It instantly caught our attention and whilst yellow can seem quite bold and challenging to style on its own, the other shades helped to make Emilia Fox’s jumper that bit more versatile. The Fair Isle-esque pattern ran along the cuffs and across the yoke and incorporated charcoal grey, powder blue, red, green and white.

The neutral grey and white tones helped to balance the brighter colours and Emilia could easily have picked out one of these many shades to complement with a matching pair of trousers or a skirt.

The print itself gave this jumper a traditional feel and Fair Isle knits might be popular for the festive season, but they work for winter generally too. Something like Emilia’s patterned jumper would be a fun Christmas Day or Twixmas item but isn’t specifically Christmassy and so she could continue to wear it throughout the colder months. Once you’ve found the best way to store jumpers you can happily pack your knitwear away each year ready to bring it out when the temperature drops again.

Sadly, we couldn’t see from the picture what the Silent Witness actor was wearing with her colourful jumper. However, we would pair a bright Fair Isle knit like Emilia’s with blue denim jeans and some black ankle boots for a chic everyday look.

To elevate it a little more for any festive season gatherings we would swap the jeans for a pair of tailored black trousers which would be a lovely contrast against the vibrant pattern. If you’re ever not sure what to wear on a cold, grey day, you can’t go far wrong with a fun Fair Isle jumper and Emilia Fox’s one has inspired us to be braver with our colour choices this winter.